Course Descriptions
Bachelor of Science in Broadcast Meteorology
For a full list of all courses offered by the Department of Meteorology, visit the course catalogue.This course provides hands on experiments with a variety of meteorological measurement techniques and the instrumentation used in atmospheric sciences. The course will consist of laboratory and field work, and an associated lecture course. The course will introduce students to instrument calibration, deployment, and data acquisition in a laboratory and field environments. Students will become familiar with surface instrument operation fundamentals, deployment and analysis techniques. This course has a companion lecture course METR 3390 that must be taken concurrently.
Prerequisite: METR 1430, MATH 2312, MATH 2313, MATH 3314, PHYS 2305 and PHYS 2306
Corequisite: METR 3390
The course explores the physics of the primary ground-based remote sensors used for operational monitoring of the atmosphere. The capabilities and limitations of the various systems will be studied to determine their impact on applications. The use and applications of remote sensors will include meteorological radar and wind profilers.
Prerequisite: METR 1430
This is part I of the weather forecasting sequence. A survey forecast guidance products and the application of physical principles to weather forecasting and the interpretation and use of computer-generated forecast guidance products of the National Weather Service.
Prerequisites: METR 3335 and METR 3356
This course is a study of atmospheric processes that influence and play a part in the development and behavior of large-scale weather systems.
Prerequisites: MATH 2312 and METR 3335
The course involves an application of physical principles to weather forecasting and the use and interpretation of computer-generated forecast guidance products of the National Weather Service. The course includes an introduction to the structure and dynamics of convective and mesoscale phenomena, including mesoscale convective systems, severe thunderstorms, tornadoes, low-level jets, mountain waves and hurricanes.
Prerequisite: METR 3320
Severe weather involves a detailed descriptive account of the physical processes important in the formation of various severe and unusual weather phenomena including: thunderstorms, tornadoes, hail storms, lightning, hurricanes, mid-latitude snowstorms, lake effect snows, atmospheric optical effects, and global climate change.
Prerequisite: METR 1430
The course is an overview of hydrological processes with emphasis on the hydrological cycle, surface hydrology, groundwater hydrology, measurement techniques and interpretation of stream flow, precipitation, soil moisture, and rainfall runoff.
Prerequisite: METR 1430
The course is a study of the theory and practice of weather analysis and forecasting, surface and upper air analysis, fronts and wave cyclones, satellite meteorology, sounding analysis, thermodynamic diagram, cross sections, forecasting, NMC models, MOS, radar meteorology, severe weather.
Prerequisite: METR 3310
The course focuses on applications of remote sensing of the atmosphere using satellite observations, including cloud detection and the retrieval of atmospheric temperature, and atmospheric moisture and ozone content. The course also teaches the interpretation of imagery collected from weather satellites.
Prerequisite: METR 3310
This course examines different measurement techniques and the instrumentation used in atmospheric sciences. The course will consist of lecture, an associated laboratory and field work. The course will introduce students to the fundamentals of instrument response, techniques of instrument calibration, deployment, and data acquisition. Students will become familiar with instrument specifications, fundamental operation, surface and upper-air measurement techniques. Remote sensing instruments such as Satellites, SODAR and Radar, will be introduced in preparation for METR 3310 Radar Meteorology and METR 3360 Satellite Meteorology. This course has a companion lab course METR 3391 that must be taken concurrently.
Prerequisites: METR 1430, MATH 2312, MATH 2313, MATH 3314, PHYS 2305 and PHYS 2306.
This is an advanced course that allows the Broadcast Meteorology majors to focus on refining their skills in the development and presentation of TV weather forecasts. Specific topics are agreed upon by the student and the sponsoring instructor. Topics must be within the scope of the science of meteorology and focus on the integration of material learned during the university experience. This course consists of a laboratory session each day of the week preparing and presenting weather forecasts in the Broadcast Meteorology studio laboratory for airing on UIWTV and/or the internet. It may include an internship to investigate the problem. These productions may be used as part of a video resume.
Prerequisites: METR 4310 and METR 4320
The course is the first is a two-course sequence surveying of weather graphic systems used in the broadcast industry and their use in developing weathercasts for television. The course is to provide an introduction to the technology in broadcast meteorology, on-air techniques and how it is changing. Emphasis is placed on the use of meteorological data, in selection of production class weather graphics, and its use to develop content for both the web and television. The course also covers an introduction to technology used to develop content, and on camera techniques. Practice sessions is conducted in the UIW Broadcast Meteorology Laboratory using television cameras, green screens, teleprompters, multiple backdrop sets and Baron broadcast graphics generator software.
Prerequisites: METR 3330 and METR 3356
Meteorology course descriptionsThe course is the second part of a two-part series on weathercasting. It includes the use and application of weather graphic systems to develop on-air weather broadcasts, with an emphasis on severe weather coverage. The focus is on the operational technology and techniques used in broadcast meteorology. Emphasis is placed on the integration of meteorological data, the production of television weather graphics, and its use during television weathercasts. Advanced chroma key on-camera techniques, the integration of weather forecasting science and presentation graphics is covered during the lab portion of this course.
Prerequisite: METR 4310